I exercise three times a week using the treadmill and elliptical machines. Someone told me I may not be getting much out of it if I am not getting my heart rate high enough. Is this true?
- Not Sure About the Beats…
Dear Not Sure,
You have been given correct information…but not complete information. For the best training effect, you do need to increase your heart rate. However, you need to know how to calculate what your rate should be. We call this healthy range in which to get the most out of your aerobic workout your target heart range. It is age dependent, and can be calculated as follows:
Maximum heart rate (MHR), calculated by subtracting your age from 220, is an accepted indicator of exercise intensity. For example, MHR for a twenty year old is: 220 - 20 = 200. His/her Target Heart Range should be 65 to 85 percent of MHR. For a twenty-year-old person, this is 130 (65 percent of 200) to 170 (85 percent) beats per minute. An easy way to check your heart rate, if the equipment you are using does not have a heart rate monitor, is to take your pulse for six seconds and put a zero on the end of that number. If it is in your Target Heart Range, you are exercising in healthy fashion. The higher, the better, but only within your THR!
Good luck with your exercise routine! If you exercise three days a week within your THR for at least 30 minutes, you should see very positive benefits!
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